The euphoria over Derrick Rose's return to the Chicago Bulls lineup have swept concerns about center Joakim Noah's lingering injuries under the rug.
That is, unless you're coach Tom Thibodeau. The Bulls coach told the Chicago Tribune on Wednesday he knows his All-Star center will miss the rest of the preseason nursing his sore groin and may even be still on the sidelines when the team takes on defending champion Miami on Oct. 29.
Thibodeau added getting in game shape for Noah is now almost as big an issue as it is recuperating from the injury.
"It's not very good," Thibodeau told The tribune about Noah's conditioning. "He still has a long way to go."
Noah, who has played just 19 minutes over the team's first six preseason games, doesn't argue the point.
"It's possible," he told the newspaper of the prospect of missing the season opener. "But I'm not there yet. In my mind, I'm playing. I want to be out there as soon as I can. We'll see when that is."
Meanwhile, Rose has averaged 27 points and 5 assists over the team's last three preseason victories, more than offsetting the loss of Noah, Jimmy Butler (bruised knee) and Kirk Hinrich (concussion) over that time.
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